SUN DOG NAMING

REASONING BEHIND NAMING OF THE SUN DOG CAN BE EASILY SEEN FROM THE IMAGE BELOW. THE TWO SPOTS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RISING SUN HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF TWO DOGS SITTING AT ATTENTION BESIDE THEIR MASTER, THE SUN. AS THE SUN RISES, THE SPOTS FOLLOW INTO THE SKY. UNDER THE RIGHT ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS, A RING OR HALO APPEARS AROUND THE SUN DUE TO ICE CRYSTALS IN THE AIR OR THIN CLOUD. THE SPOTS ON THE SUN'S HALO ARE THE SUN DOGS. A HALO CAN APPEAR AROUND THE SUN WITHOUT THE SPOTS, AND THIS HALO IS NOT A SUN DOG PHENOMENON, ONLY A SUN HALO.

LIKEWISE A HALO CAN APPEAR AROUND THE MOON AND IS CALLED A MOON HALO. IF SPOTS APPEAR ON THE SIDES OF THE MOON HALO, THE SPOTS ARE CALLED MOON DOGS. AGAIN THE SPOTS ARE THE DOGS, NOT THE RING, WHICH IS THE HALO. THE MOON MUST BE VERY BRIGHT AND FULL FOR THE MOON DOGS TO APPEAR, MOST OFTEN IN THE WINTER.